June 30th: On This Day In Music

2020
John Prine, who grew up near Chicago, is named the first honorary poet laureate of Illinois. Prine died of coronavirus three months earlier.

2019
Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine, was sold to Scooter Braun’s company for an estimated $300 million, giving him control of her back catalog, including the master recordings. In response, Swift accused Braun of bullying her and said she would re-record all her old albums to devalue his purchase.

2014
Ed Sheeran’s second album X became the fastest-selling UK album of the year so far after selling 182,000 copies in its first week, 14,000 more than Coldplay managed with Ghost Stories which was released in May.

2014
Taylor Swift ranks #18 as Forbes issues its annual Celebrity 100 list. Toby Keith places #51 and Kenny Chesney rates #70. Elsewhere are The Eagles, #26; Miley Cyrus, #17; Bon Jovi, #13; Oprah Winfrey, #4; and Beyonce, #1.

2012
In Kiev, Queen launch their first tour with American Idol alumnus Adam Lambert on lead vocals. The band had previously toured with Paul Rodgers.

2011
The Eagles rank #13 among Gibson.com’s Top 50 American Rock Bands of All-Time. Also listed in the Top 20: Creedence Clearwater Revival, #14; Lynyrd Skynyrd, #16; Pearl Jam, #18; Wilco, #19; and Buddy Holly & The Crickets, #20.

2009
U2 launch their 360 tour with a show in Barcelona. 109 shows later, the tour finishes with $735 million in earnings, blowing away the $558 million record set by The Rolling Stones on their 2005-2007 A Bigger Bang tour. Ed Sheeran breaks the record in 2019 when his ÷ (Divide) tour rakes in $775 million.

2008
Olivia Newton-John marries Amazon John Easterling, a TV producer and entrepreneur.

2007
R.E.M. played a five-night series of shows at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. Dubbed ‘working rehearsals’ by the band, many songs from their forthcoming album ‘Accelerate’ were debuted, with many of them still as works in progress.

2005
Nick Carter from The Backstreet Boys was fined $1,200 (£664) after admitting to drink-driving in California. The 25-year-old singer was also put on probation for three years, ordered to attend an alcohol education course and banned from driving for 90 days.

2004
Kinks founder member Dave Davies was left paralysed on the right-hand side of his body after suffering a stroke. The 57-year-old guitarist and brother of fellow Kinks star Ray Davies had been promoting his solo material when he collapsed.

2001
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Lady Marmalade.’ A hit for LaBelle in 1975; then it was at No 1 in 1998 for All Saints. This version was from the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge.

2001
Beach Boys member Al Jardine went to court in a bid to sue his former band mates, claiming he had been frozen out of the Beach Boys. The $4 million (£2.35 million) suit was filed against Mike Love, Brian Wilson, the Carl Wilson Trust and Brother Records Incorporated in a New York Superior Court. In 1998 a US judge temporarily barred Jardine from performing under the name Beach Boys Family And Friends after representations from Mike Love and Brother Records. Jardine lost the case in 2003.

2001
American guitarist and producer Chet Atkins died in Nashville aged 77. Recorded over 90 albums during his career, produced records for Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves and Waylon Jennings. He was a major influence on George Harrison and Mark Knopler.

2000
During a Pearl Jam concert at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, nine people are crushed to death as the crowd rushes the stage. Several people fall and can’t get up, and in addition, crowdsurfers are falling into the open area. Pearl Jam stops the show and asks people to back up, but it is too late. Investigations conclude that the events were an accident, and many European venues ban crowdsurfing. The Pearl Jam song “Love Boat Captain” refers to the events with the line “Lost nine friends we’ll never know… two years ago today.”

1995
45-year-old American soul singer Phyllis Hyman took her own life in her New York City apartment. She was found hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theatre.

1990
New Kids On The Block started a three weeks run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Step By Step’. The group’s third US No.1, a No.2 hit in the UK. Their album ‘Step By Step’ also went to No.1 on the UK album chart today.

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1989
Police were called in to control over 4,000 Bobby Brown fans trying to see him at the HMV Record store in London’s Oxford Street, six fans were hospitalized and one had to be given the kiss of life.

1984
Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’ peaked at No.2 on the US chart, the first of six singles from his seventh studio album Born In The U.S.A. which all hit the US Top 10. The video was shot at the Saint Paul Civic Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and shows Springsteen pulling a young Courteney Cox from the audience to dance along with him on the stage.

1984
The Huey Lewis & the News album Sports claims a week at #1 in the US. It’s one of just five albums to top the chart in 1984, the others being Thriller, Purple Rain, Born in the U.S.A., and the Footloose soundtrack.

1979
Tubeway Army started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric’. The song by Gary Numan was the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era.

1979
One Hit Wonder Anita Ward started a two weeks run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Ring My Bell’, also a UK No.1.

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1978
United Artists released The Buzzcocks single ‘Love You More’, at 1 minute 29 seconds it was the second shortest single ever released. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs 1960 hit ‘Stay’ was the shortest hit at one minute 28 seconds.

1977
Marvel Comics launched a comic book based on the rock group Kiss. Blood from each band member was drawn by a registered nurse, witnessed by a notary public, and poured into the vats of red ink used for printing the comic at Marvel’s Borden Ink plant in Depew, New York.

1976
Police raided the home of Neil Diamond searching for drugs. During the search they found less than an ounce of marijuana.

1976
Stuart Goddard, (Adam Ant), placed the following ad in the classified section of the Melody Maker, ‘Beat on a bass, with the B-Sides.’ Andy Warren answered the ad and the pair went on to form Adam and The Ants.

1975
The Jackson Five announced that they were leaving Motown Records for Epic Records. The brothers were forced to change their name to The Jacksons since Motown owned the other name.

1975
Cher married Greg Allman four days after her divorcing Sonny Bono, the couple split after ten days, followed by a three year on and off marriage.

1973
George Harrison knocked Paul McCartney from the top of the US singles chart with ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)’. His second US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK was the opening track on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.

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1973
Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Skweeze Me Pleeze Me’, the group’s fifth UK No.1 and second single to enter the chart at No.1.

1971
San Francisco’s Fillmore West concert hall closes.

1966
The Beatles played the first of three concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall, Japan. The concert was filmed with The Beatles wearing black suits. The following day’s first performance was also filmed; with The Beatles wearing white suits. There was a strict police presence with 3,000 police observing each concert played in front of 10,000 fans.

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